Completed in March, but with details just coming to light now, the deal saw Stephen Austin buy the firm outright through a holding company, with Hertford Offset continuing to run as before.

Hertford Offset specialises in sheetfed litho printing, largely for high-volume marketing jobs, holding Komori Lithrone S 29 H-UV, S LS-526 five-colour and Sprint GS 28 two-colour presses alongside a Heidelberg GTO Z 52 two-colour press, according to its plant list.

The firm also prints digital for short-deadline and personalised work on Konica Minolta bizhub Press C8000 toner engines.

In a statement, Stephen Austin Group said: “Hertford Offset has a strong reputation for excellence in all areas of commercial print, with a proven track record of innovation and customer satisfaction. The combining of Hertford Offset and Stephen Austin Group’s operations is expected to create significant synergies, enabling a much more comprehensive suite of services and solutions for our customers.

“Stephen Austin Group is dedicated to the continuation of quality output from both Stephen Austin and Hertford Offset and current business will continue without disruption or change.

“Hertford Offset has a strong reputation for excellence in all areas of commercial print, with a proven track record of innovation and customer satisfaction. The combining of Hertford Offset and Stephen Austin Group’s operations is expected to create significant synergies, enabling a much more comprehensive suite of services and solutions for our customers.

“Stephen Austin Group is dedicated to the continuation of quality output from both Stephen Austin and Hertford Offset and current business will continue without disruption or change.”

Stephen Austin & Sons turned over £33m in its most recent accounts, which described the year to December 2022, employing 138 at the time.